ESpeak
eSpeak is an open source software speech synthesizer for Linux, Windows, and other platforms. It supports many languages and accents and is customizable. eSpeak converts text to speech with good quality and versatility.
opensource
multilanguage
customizable
texttospeech
eSpeak: Open Source Speech Synthesizer for Linux & Windows
eSpeak is an open source software speech synthesizer for Linux, Windows, and other platforms. It supports many languages and accents and is customizable. eSpeak converts text to speech with good quality and versatility.
What is ESpeak?
eSpeak is an open source, compact, multi-lingual software speech synthesizer for Linux, Windows, and other platforms. It was released under the GNU General Public License in 2005. eSpeak uses a "formant synthesis" method, which allows it to generate speech quickly and use little memory. It supports over 70 languages and accents, including English, Spanish, Hindi, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese.
Some key features of eSpeak include:
- Lightweight and fast - it can run even on low-spec computers
- Support for unlimited vocabularies and not restricted to pre-recorded speech
- Highly customizable voices, speech speeds, pitches, amplitudes, and more
- Ability to alter tone, word emphasis, and sentence patterns
- Can function as a front-end to MBROLA diphone voices
- SSML (Speech Synthesis Markup Language) support
- Good support for most European and Asian languages
- Active development community with frequent updates
While the default eSpeak voice has a robotic sound, it is understandable and clear. eSpeak is popular for open source and personal projects where pre-made commercial voices are too expensive or the end user needs to customize the speech output heavily. It works well for uses like screen readers, in-app text-to-speech, and more.
ESpeak Features
Features
- Text-to-speech engine
- Supports many languages and accents
- Customizable speech output
- Open source and cross-platform compatibility
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Free and open source
Good quality voice output
Lightweight and fast
Highly customizable
Supports many languages
Cons
Computerized, robotic sounding voice
Limited natural sounding intonation
Can sound unnatural at higher speeds
Lacks some advanced text-to-speech features
Official Links
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